Course of the Week: Oakmont Country Club

By Will Coughlin| June 12, 2025 0 Comments

One of the most famous bunkers in golf is the 102-yard-long Church Pews bunker, which sits between No. 3 and No. 4 at Oakmont. The bunker was once six separate bunkers, which eventually became one ahead of the 1935 U.S. Open. (Photo: Ryan Montgomery) — The iconic and recently restored “Church pew” bunkers split the 3rd and fourth fairways. (Photo: Ryan Montgomery)

This week’s course of the week is Oakmont Country Club. Oakmont is playing host to this year’s U.S. Open and is hosting its record 10th U.S. Open and 21st USGA National championship in total. Oakmont has been named an anchor site by the USGA due to the top-notch conditions and facilities, as well as the impressive history.

We have been lucky enough at Golfdom to have the privilege of attending previous U.S. Opens at Oakmont, so now seems like an appropriate time to look back at previous coverage of the grounds.

17th tee box on the edge of the property with the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania offering a scenic backdrop. (Photo: Golfdom staff) — 17th tee box on the edge of the property with the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania offering a scenic backdrop. (Photo: *Golfdom* staff)

Travelogue: Oakmont CC

Seth Jones, March 22nd, 2016

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting one of the most famous, well-respected, “major” golf courses out there… legendary Oakmont (Pa.) CC.

The last time I was there was back in 2007 when they hosted that year’s U.S. Open. I was excited to get back and see what looked familiar and what looked different.

…

The different: the views across the course, which are now wide-open, and one Mike McCormick, assistant superintendent, a Boston-bred disciple of Dick Bator.

I’ll get more into this for our upcoming feature story on the 2016 U.S. Open, and I’ll again refer you to the GolfdomTV video… but there’s been some serious work done at Oakmont since I was last there. Not to the way the course plays, but to the views of the property. Many more trees and brush were removed and massive work was done to beautify the area surrounding the Pennsylvania Turnpike that bisects the course.

On my short visit, McCormick was directing a crew of four Toro ProCores and about eight guys shoveling cores. I got some good action shots of that… they were doing some serious work! Almost felt bad being the guy standing there holding a three-pound camera while these guys were burning calories at an alarming rate. Every time I got caught up in a conversation, I’d turn around at the conclusion and the crew would be done clearing the green and moving on to the next one…

No. 9 at Oakmont is one of the most iconic greens complexes in golf. With the clubhouse framing it, the green is a combination of No. 9 green and the practice putting green. (Photo by: Ryan Montgomery)

2016 U.S. Open Preview: What’s old is new again

Seth Jones, June 9, 2016

“Removing all those trees also was a tough test of maintenance. Enter the young blood on the crew, Assistant Superintendent Mike McCormick, a Bostonian with a degree from UMass Amherst in plant and soil science, as well as a master’s from Superintendent Dick Bator’s school of hard knocks.

‘It was a beast, a lot of guys put a ton of time into it,’ says McCormick. ‘It was an unbelievable project to be involved in. Now you look at the result, all the fescue is grown in. Looking across that view everyday for someone like me, I feel like I was a part of history.’

The easy part was cutting down the trees, McCormick says. With the turnpike and railroad tracks both within striking distance, the crew had to be cautious to chain each tree and pull it in the opposite direction as it was being cut down. After all the trees were dragged up the hill and the stumps were ground out, they were left with 6 inches of organic matter that had to be hand-raked and loaded into 500-pound bulk fertilizer bags. Those were all then dragged up the hill by a track hoe.”

The approach into the 18th hole, what architect Gil Hanse referred to as the quintessential closing golf hole in American championship golf. (Photo: Golfdom staff) — The approach to the 18th hole, what architect Gil Hanse referred to as the quintessential closing golf hole in American championship golf. (Photo: *Golfdom* staff)

Oakmont with one week to go

Seth Jones, June 13th, 2016

“And the place looks amazing. It’s eye-popping, the colors out here, and the views.

All they need to do is keep the wheels turning for another couple days and we’re going to have an incredible U.S. Open. Extremely difficult conditions. Absolutely beautiful conditions. This is golf maintenance on parade, this course, Oakmont Country Club.

…

The greens? Dick Bator joked that they could not only host the U.S. Open here, but also the NCAA Final Four, because the greens are as firm as a basketball court.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup last night. This coming Sunday, someone will hoist the U.S. Open trophy. But this Pittsburgh-based maintenance crew will deserve a trophy of their own.”

Deep bunkers beside the 17th green with the USGA grandstands looking on. (Photo: Golfdom staff) — Deep bunkers beside the 17th green with the USGA grandstands looking on. (Photo: *Golfdom* staff)

All of our content from the 2025 U.S. Open is being brought to you by Quali-Pro.

Got a course you want to feature? Let us know!

Is your course undergoing some renovations? Did your course recently host a major event or fundraiser? Send it to digital media specialist Will Coughlin at wcoughlin@northcoastmedia.net, and we’ll feature it in an upcoming Course of the Week.

Course of the Week: Carlisle Country Club begins multi-million-dollar renovation

Course of the Week: Erin Hills

Course of the Week: The Pines Course at The International